A partial solar eclipse, Surya Grahan, will be visible in India on January 15, 2010. According to NASA, the solar eclipse on 2010 January 15 is an Annular Eclipse. In India, it will be visible from 11:25 hrs to 15:15 hrs (Indian Standard Time) on January 15, 2010. The Surya grahanam will be visible in most of Africa, India, Dubai, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and parts of China. As per traditional Hindu calendar, January 15 is an Amavasi Day.

An annular eclipse happens when the sun is visible like a ring of fire, with the moon darkening the center of the sun. In South India in Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala, the annular eclipse, or the ring of fire, will be for nearly 8 minutes – from 13:10:35 hrs to 13:18:08 hrs.

Longest Annular Eclipse of This Century

This will be the longest annular solar eclipse of the third millennium. There won’t be an annular solar eclipse longer than this one till 3043. The last annular solar eclipse visible from India was in 1976.

In India, the grahan on January 15, 2010 passes between the southern tip of India and northern Sri Lanka. Both regions lie within the path where maximum annularity lasts for 10 minutes 15 seconds. Maximum grahan will be visible in Trivandrum and other regions in south Kerala and in Tirunellveli, Rameshwaram, Kannyakumari, Dhanushkodi, Nagercoil, Madurai, Thanjavur and Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu.

The annular solar eclipse will be visible in places around world in the below map provided by NASA

click on the image for a larger view

All Hindu temples remain closed during Surya Grahan and will reopen only after the Grahan is over and after conducting special pujas and rituals. On the day, Hindus also take holy dip in holy rivers like Ganga and also at Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra.

Usually, religious Hindus do not perform any work during Surya Grahan and they purify themselves by taking a bath and chant the Ashtakshara Mantra dedicated to Shri Krishna and Mahamritunjaya mantra dedicated to Lord Shiva. Ashtakshara mantra is ‘Shri Krishna ha sharnam mama.’

Caution: During Surya Grahan, there are some elements in society who take undue advantage of innocent Hindus in the name of astrology and various doshas on horoscope. Ancient Hindu saints only talk about the physical harm Surya Grahanam can create on human beings. Put the thinking cap and keep out unwanted elements who try to take undue advantage during such occasions. The only aim of such people is money.